Dez Bryant on Long-Term Deal: "I've Earned It"

Star receiver Dez Bryant is entering his fifth season in the NFL

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Getting a new, long-term contract for receiver Dez Bryant is among the top priorities for the Dallas Cowboys front office at this point, and Bryant believes he’s a earned a deal that’d place him among the most handsomely compensated receivers in the game.

"Yeah, I deserve it," Bryant told Tim MacMahon of ESPN Dallas. "I deserve it. I feel like I do. I put the work in. But I let that kind of stuff take care of itself. It is what it is. I let my agent talk about it and give me some feedback."

We’d be somewhat shocked if a deal didn’t get done relatively quickly. Jerry Jones’ love of Bryant has never been in question, dating back to when Dallas traded up to select him out of Oklahoma State in 2010. For Bryant’s part, it's hard to argue that he doesn't deserve a nice payday. He’s coming off the best season of his career--93 catches, 1,233 yards and 13 touchdowns--and his first Pro Bowl nod, and seems primed to continue getting better after struggling with consistency in his first few seasons in the league.

“I'm loyal to the squad,” Bryant said. “I've always been. Me and my agent are going to talk about [a hometown discount]. We'll talk about it. You know, this is big. This is life-changing. Like I said, I've done everything asked of me, and we'll see what happens.”

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